ai4bharat/Pralekha huggingface dataset:
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
Detailed Project reports of LIDAR survey of forest areas in 10 states for water and fodder augmentation released.
Projects will help augment water and fodder in forest areas and enrich efficiency of regeneration of forests: Shri Prakash Javadekar
All state governments should work in right earnest to make this project successful and showcase the effect of use of technology: Union Environment Minister
Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Prakash Javadekar in a virtual event today released the Detailed Project Reports  of LiDAR based survey of forest areas in ten states namely Assam, Bihar, Chhatisgarh, Goa, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Nagaland, and Tripura.
Shri Javadekar informed that the project which was awarded to WAPCOS, a PSU under the aegis of Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India is a first of its kind and a unique experiment using LiDAR technology which will help augment water and fodder in jungles areas thereby reducing human-animal conflict, help in groundwater recharge, help local communities and also asked state forest departments to use CAMPA funds towards implementation of these projects in right earnest and in accordance with the ‘Ridge to Valley’ approach of watershed management.
WAPCOS has prepared these DPR’s using LiDAR technology in which the 3-D DEM , imagery and layers of the project areas are used for recommending different types of Soil & Water conservation structures such as Anicut, Gabion, Gully Plug, Mini percolation tank, Percolation Tank, Field bund, Sunken pond, Farm pond etc. These structures will help in catching the rain water and prevent stream run off, which will help in recharging of Ground water.
WAPCOS with the participation of State Forest Departments identified one major ridge inside a forest block in these states with average area of 10,000 ha selected in each State for preparation of Detailed Project Reports for planning and identifying locations and structures for construction of appropriate and feasible micro soil and water conservation structures consistent with site specific geography, topography and soil characteristics.
States/UTs identified one major ridge inside a forest block with the criteria that area selected should have average rainfall of the state, and the area requires assisted natural generation which means the density of forests should be less than 0.4 or below, but should have reasonable potential to regenerate with the ANR interventions.
The project was awarded to WAPCOS in July 2020 at a cost of Rs.18.38 Crore/- for implementation in 26 states over 261897 hectare. The DPR’s for the remaining 16 states will also be released shortly.
Ministry of Information & Broadcasting
Ministry of Information & Broadcasting organized a cultural programme as part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav at Banevasi,Jalpaiguri in West Bengal
Kolkata, 26th August, 2021
As part of the ongoing Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, Government of India’s initiative to celebrate 75 years of India’s Independence, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting organized a colourful programme at Banevasi under Binnaguri Gram Panchayet in Jalpaiguri district . Sri Ayan Bhattacharya and along with the members of cultural organization "Giti Natyam '' performed a beautiful dance on "Vande Mataram '' song. Another dance drama was performed on the theme of women safety. Local dancer Sri Runu Bhattacharya and local panchayet member Sri Arjun Mandol, field outreach bureau officer Sri Dipak Chakraborty were present in that program. Local people were very enthusiastic about this programme.
CG/CB/
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Ministry of Electronics & IT
Scheme for Promotion of Manufacturing of Electronic Components and Semiconductors
Government of India’s goal is to make India a significant design and manufacturing hub in Global Value chain for Electronics as part of its Atmanirbhar Bharat Economic policies. As part of this, we are broadening and deepening our electronics manufacturing ecosystem. To establish India as a global leader in electronics manufacturing, Government of India has launched many flagship schemes which are aimed at “Atmanirbhar Bharat – A self-reliant India” under the aegis of National Policy on Electronics 2019 .The Scheme for Promotion of Manufacturing of Electronic Components and Semiconductors  is a step in this direction. It was notified on April 01, 2020 and provides financial incentive of 25% on capital expenditure for the identified list of electronic goods that comprise downstream value chain of electronic products, i.e., electronic components, semiconductor / display fabrication units, ATMP units, specialized sub-assemblies and capital goods for manufacture of aforesaid goods. The scheme is open to receive applications till 31.03.2023. As on February 28, 2022, the Executive Committee  has approved 23 applications with total project outlay of Rs.6,816 crore and committed incentives of Rs 1,245 crore. The total employment generation potential of the approved applications is 29,021 .
The Government has taken strategic steps and initiatives to expand the electronics manufacturing sector in the country and make India a global electronics manufacturing and design hub. As a result of various initiatives taken by the Government, several proposals have been received from foreign investors under the following schemes:
- Under the Modified Special Incentive Package Scheme , a total of 127 proposals with proposed investment of Rs 59,086 crore from companies having foreign shareholding are under consideration for setting up of units for manufacturing of electronic goods/products. Out of these 127 proposals, 124 proposals with proposed investment of Rs 56,341 crore have been approved. The reported capital expenditure incurred by 104 approved applicants  for electronic equipment manufacturing is Rs. 19,600 crore.
- Under the Production Linked Incentive Scheme  for Large Scale Electronics Manufacturing notified on 1st April, 2020, a total of 12 applications from foreign companies have been approved.
- Under the Production Linked Incentive Scheme  for IT Hardware notified on 03rd March, 2021, a total of 4 applications from foreign companies have been approved.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Electronics & Information Technology, Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today.
Ministry of Education
Shri Subhas Sarkar launches Swachh Vidyalaya Puraskar 2021 – 2022
Shri Subhas Sarkar, Minister of State for Education today virtually launched Swachh Vidyalaya Puraskar  2021 – 2022. The event was attended by Mrs Anita Karwal, Secretary , and representatives from all States and UTs and UNICEF.
Shri Sarkar while launching the awardsunderlined the importance ofWater, Sanitation and Hygiene in Schools as it plays a significant role in determining the health of students, their attendance, dropout rate, and learning outcomes. The provision of water, sanitation and hygiene facilities in schools secures a healthy school environment and protects children from illness  and exclusion, he added. Shri Sarkar emphasized that the SwachhVidyalayaPuraskarrecognise, inspire and award the schoolswho have undertaken exemplary work in the field of water, sanitation and hygieneand also provides a benchmark and roadmap for schools to make further improvements in future.
In order to create self-motivation and awareness about sanitation the SwachhVidyalayaPuraskar  was first instituted by the Department of School Education and Literacy, in 2016-17.
The SVP 2021-22 is open to all categories of schools. i.e. Government, Government aided and Private schools in both rural and urban areas. The schools will be assessed through an online portal & mobile app in 6 sub-categories: Water, Sanitation, Hand Washing with soap, Operation and Maintenance, Behaviour Change and Capacity Building and the newly added category on COVID-19 Preparedness and Response and the system will generate the overall score and rating automatically.The schools have been given sufficient time till March 2022 to apply for the awards so that they can do so at an appropriate and safe time.
Schools shall be awarded at the District, State and National level based on an internationally recognized five star rating system. Also, every school will get a certificate of participation showing the category-wise scores and overall rating of the school. This will help in promoting sustainable practices of improved Water, Sanitation & Hygiene in schools.
At the National level, 40 schools will be selected for awards this year under the overall category. The award money for the schools has been enhanced this year from Rs. 50,000/- to Rs. 60,000/- per school, under Samagra Shiksha scheme. Also, 6 sub-category wise awards have been introduced for the first time, with award money of Rs. 20,000/- per school.MJPS/AK
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Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution
Legislation on Direct Selling
Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Department of Consumer Affairs notified the Direct Selling Guidelines, 2016 in the Gazette of India on 26.10.2016 as guiding principles for State Governments to consider regulating the business of direct selling and multi-level marketing and strengthen the existing regulatory mechanism on direct selling and multi-level marketing for preventing fraud and protecting the legitimate rights and interests of consumers. State Governments/Union Territories, being enforcement agencies, may take necessary action to implement these guidelines. In terms of the Direct Selling Guidelines, 2016, State Governments will set up a mechanism to monitor/supervise the activities of direct sellers, direct selling entities regarding compliance with the guidelines. Besides, the Consumer Protection Bill, 2019 has been introduced in Lok Sabha on 8th July, 2019 which seeks to provide the measures to be taken by the Central Government to prevent unfair trade practices in direct selling.
In terms of the Direct Selling Guidelines, 2016, no person or entity will participate in money circulation scheme in the garb of direct selling business. Ministry of Finance, Department of Financial Services has intimated that there is no information available with them that law enforcement agencies are wrongfully booking genuine direct selling firms under the Prize Chits and Money Circulation Scheme  Act, 1978.
This information was given in a written reply by the Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Shri Danve Raosaheb Dadarao in the Rajya Sabha today.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
COVID - 19 Vaccination Update - Day 397
India’s cumulative vaccination coverage crosses 174 Crore
More than 31 lakh Vaccine doses administered today till 7 pm
India’s COVID-19 vaccination coverage has crossed 174 Crore  today. More than 31 lakh  Vaccine Doses have been administered till 7 pm today. More than 1.82 Crore  Precaution Doses for the identified categories of beneficiaries  for COVID vaccination have been administered so far. The daily vaccination tally is expected to increase with the compilation of the final reports for the day by late tonight.
The cumulative coverage of vaccine doses, segregated based on population priority groups, is as follows:
|
|
Cumulative Vaccine Dose Coverage
|
|
HCWs
|
|
1st Dose
|
|
10400130
|
|
2nd Dose
|
|
9943054
|
|
Precaution Dose
|
|
3970948
|
|
FLWs
|
|
1st Dose
|
|
18406658
|
|
2nd Dose
|
|
17398562
|
|
Precaution Dose
|
|
5635111
|
|
Age Group 15-18 years
|
|
1st Dose
|
|
52903133
|
|
|
|
2nd Dose
|
|
18455079
|
|
Age Group 18-44 years
|
|
1st Dose
|
|
549336582
|
|
2nd Dose
|
|
431179145
|
|
Age Group 45-59 years
|
|
1st Dose
|
|
201865788
|
|
2nd Dose
|
|
177340185
|
|
Over 60 years
|
|
1st Dose
|
|
126066755
|
|
2nd Dose
|
|
110484191
|
|
Precaution Dose
|
|
8595504
|
|
Cumulative 1st dose administered
|
|
958979046
|
|
Cumulative 2nd dose administered
|
|
764800216
|
|
Precaution Dose
|
|
18201563
|
|
Total
|
|
1741980825
Today’s achievement in the vaccination exercise, segregated by population priority groups, is as follows:
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|
Date: 16th February, 2022 
|
|
HCWs
|
|
1st Dose
|
|
149
|
|
2nd Dose
|
|
3282
|
|
Precaution Dose
|
|
22404
|
|
FLWs
|
|
1st Dose
|
|
350
|
|
2nd Dose
|
|
5311
|
|
Precaution Dose
|
|
61651
|
|
Age Group 15-18 years
|
|
1st Dose
|
|
182501
|
|
|
|
2nd Dose
|
|
831875
|
|
Age Group 18-44 years
|
|
1st Dose
|
|
264817
|
|
2nd Dose
|
|
1128988
|
|
Age Group 45-59 years
|
|
1st Dose
|
|
45786
|
|
2nd Dose
|
|
243267
|
|
Over 60 years
|
|
1st Dose
|
|
33651
|
|
2nd Dose
|
|
151590
|
|
Precaution Dose
|
|
137019
|
|
Cumulative 1st dose administered
|
|
527254
|
|
Cumulative 2nd dose administered
|
|
2364313
|
|
Precaution Dose
|
|
221074
|
|
Total
|
|
3112641
The vaccination exercise as a tool to protect the most vulnerable population groups in the country from COVID-19 continues to be regularly reviewed and monitored at the highest level.
Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports
Shri Kiren Rijiju Calls for Technical Evaluation and a Report Card for Fitness
 for Youth Affairs & Sports, Shri Kiren Rijiju visited the Kendriya Vidyalaya at Andrews Ganj, here today to participate in Fitness Week Celebrations at the school. The Central Board of Secondary Education  has taken the initiative of observing Fitness Week in the second, third and fourth Week of November, as part of the Fit India Movement. Shri Santosh Kumar Mall, Commissioner, Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan, Anita Karwal, Chairman of CBSE and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion.
The students put on a grand display of hatha yoga, dance fitness, physical training drills as well as various indigenous sports. Shri Rijiju himself participated alongside the school children in traditional games like gilli danda, pitthu and archery.
Speaking on the occasion the Minister said that celebrating fitness week at this time of the year is a very good step. He said, ‘’It is being organized across all Kendriya Vidyalayas and I will encourage private schools to do the same. Having a Fit India week in the month of November and December should be made mandatory across all schools. Fitness is a very important part of a student’s life and as we look at integrating physical activity into the curriculum, we should find ways of how to devise a marking system for it”. Lauding the role of Kendriya Vidyalayas in promoting fitness the Minister said, “the report card that I have received from Kendriya Vidyalayas on their observance of fitness activities after the Honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Fit India Movement, has been the most encouraging amongst all schools”. Shri Rijiju also stated that there should be a technical evaluation and a progressive report card for fitness, because it is a very important part of a student’s life. “We want to see our children fit. Fit children are the future of our nation,” he added. Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan was also honored for their role in the Fit India Plogging Run.
The objective of the Fitness Week is to bring about a behavioral change in school children from spending “Passive Screen Time” to “Active Field Time” – by moving them away from computer screens to open fields. 22000 CBSE schools across the country and three abroad are participating in the movement.
Special Service and Features
APEDA organized export promotion on jackfruit and its value-added products
Jackfruit, the state fruit of Kerala is known to have originated in western ghats of India. The largest tree borne fruit is loaded with nutritional benefits. Every part of the fruit and tree has health and economic value. The official fruit of Kerala is gaining popularity in world as ‘superfood’ meat alternative which put forth an immense opportunity Infront producers & exporters of Kerala. As per the statistical data of National Horticultural Board, in 2021-22 , Kerala ranks second in Jackfruit production with a share of around 14.01% but the annual wastage of jackfruit in state accounts for 35 crores.
Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority  organised ‘Export promotion on Jack fruit & its value-added products’ in Ernakulam totap the export potential of fruit further and to strengthen the supply chain between producers and exporters to foray & expand the opportunities on 22nd July 2022. Mr. TV Subhash IAS, Director of Agriculture, Government of Kerala was the guest of honour of the event. Dr. Sudhanshu, Secretary, APEDA gave a brief on processed food sector, plant-based meat products and supported in boosting exports of value-added products of jackfruit from Kerala. Mr. KK Pillai, Board member, APEDA, exporters and other officials from department of agriculture, Govt of Kerala addressed the participants. Mrs. Simi Unnikrishnan, AGM, Regional head, APEDA, Regional office Kochi gave a brief on the wide export potential of Jackfruit. Dr. Rincy K Abraham, Subject matter specialist fromICAR-KVK , Pathanamthitta gave a brief on ‘Advanced technologies on value addition in Jackfruit’. Farmers from major jackfruit producing districts like Idukki and Pathanamthitta took part in the event. Exporters from Kerala also participated in the event. A range of unique products like Jackfruit Biriyani, diabetes friendly jackfruit cookies, nutritional whole jackfruit powder, burger patties, jackfruit puttu powder, chapathi flour, Mixture, Jam, Squash, Pasta etc was exhibited in the event.
Jack fruit is becoming increasingly popular in mainstream and ethnic markets in many foreign countries. Coming to export scenario, other fresh fruits including Jack fruit was exported from India in 2021-22 worth 388.41 million US dollars. Among this Kerala accounts around 7.1% share worth 27.67 million US dollars. The major destinations of fresh fruits from India are Bangladesh, UAE, Iran, Nepal etc whereas the major destinations of fresh fruits from Kerala are Maldives, UAE, Qatar, Germany, USA etc.With the growing awareness of health and nutritional properties of the fruit, it is anticipated that the Jackfruit will definitely become the most sought-after fruit in the coming years. Kerala has immense potential to turn into a major jackfruit producing and exporting state of India.
Ministry of Electronics & IT
Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar to deliver keynote address at India International Technology Law Conference in Bengaluru tomorrow
Interaction with the leadership of NXP Semiconductors and Startups in the Semiconductor Design space
Minister to meet Global Capability Centre  Heads of International Corporations
The Minister of State for Electronics & Information Technology and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar will be delivering the keynote address at the Itech International India Conference, in Bengaluru tomorrow.
The Minister will be speaking on “the Vision of Digital India” at the conference being organized by the International Technology Law Association. The law meet is an annual event that brings together lawyers from across the world to discuss pressing issues in the domain of technology policy and is considered among the foremost conferences in the field.
The Minister will be arriving in Bengaluru this evening after completing his official visit to Ranchi, Jharkhand.
After the Itech Law Conference, the Minister will visit the office of NXP semiconductors. He will be interacting with the NXP Design leadership community and have a dialogue on building the Indian semiconductor ecosystem. As part of this visit the Minister will also be meeting various NXP mentored Design and systems startups in the domains of AI, 5G and automotive DRM.
Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar will also meet the India Global Capability Center  Heads of leading international corporations such as Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Chase, Samsung, Sony among others. The discussion will be centered around how GCC’s can create more employment opportunities in India as well create grass root skills development.
The second day of the Minister’s visit will include attending a Rozgar Mela. Rozgar Melas are organised with the intent of fast-tracking the meeting of job seekers and employers. He will also be visiting the Karnataka Public School Uttarahalli in Bengaluru to interact with students and teachers.
Ministry of Mines
Indian Army Officers from Military Institute of Technology , Pune Visited GSITI, Hyderabad
Geological Survey of India Training Institute , Hyderabad under the direction and guidance of Shri Ch. Venkateswara Rao, Dy. Director General and Head Mission-V, GSITI, Hyderabad, conducted a lecture cum demo / interactive sessions on 28th October, 2021 for 91 Indian Army and 3 Sri Lankan Army. The team visited GSITI, Hyderabad, as a part of their Industrial and Demonstration Tour  under Defence Services Technical Staff Course  from Military Institute of Technology , Pune. This programme was envisaged to give the Army Officers an insight into the capacity building activities of GSITI with special reference to the applications of Geographical Information System  and Remote Sensing .
The applications of GIS & RS are widely put to use for the strategic use; infrastructural development, updation and maintenance; asset management, disaster management and simulation studies. The programme started with welcoming of the army officers lead by Col. K. Gosain, Head of Faculty, MILIT, Pune at GSITI campus and was followed up with a brief presentation on GSI / GSITI activities by Shri Ch. Venkateswara Rao, Dy. Director General and Head Mission-V, GSITI, Hyderabad. Subsequently Shri Amrit Chandra Patra, Senior Geologist and Smt Annie Daliya .N, CGMT, GSITI initiated the technical lecture session and demonstration on GIS applications in Geo-sciences and its broad utility for defence purpose.
Further, Dr. Nisha Rani, Superintending Geologist, PGRS, GSITI delivered lecture on Remote Sensing applications in Geo-sciences and its wide applications in defence. Lecture sessions were followed by demonstration on GIS and Remote Sensing by Shri Anoop V.M., Senior Geologist, GSITI. Further, the GSITI team comprising of Dr. Srikanth. D, Dr. Arijit Barik, Sh. Madhuudan DG, Sh. Mallesh Ganji , Shri M. Lakshmana  and Sh. K. Ramar  have given demonstration on Field Geology, Petrology, Geophysics and Drilling. The Army officers also visited the Museum and Rock Gallery of TI.
The team interacted with the faculty of GSITI and were apprised about the initiatives undertaken by GSITI in the field of Geo-Sciences. In their feedback, the DSTSC army officers expressed their appreciation, satisfaction and have indicated the usefulness of these technical sessions in applications pertaining to their work in future. The programme was coordinated by Dr. Bibhas Sen, Director , GSITI, Hyderabad.
Prime Minister's Office
PM greets engineers on Engineers Day
PM remembers Sir M. Visvesvaraya on Engineers Day
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has greeted engineers on Engineers Day. Shri Modi has also remembered the pathbreaking contribution of Sir M. Visvesvaraya on Engineers Day.
In a series of tweets, the Prime Minister said;
"Greetings to all engineers on #EngineersDay. Our nation is blessed to have a skilled and talented pool of engineers who are contributing to nation building. Our Government is working to enhance infrastructure for studying engineering including building more engineering colleges."
"On #EngineersDay, we remember the pathbreaking contribution of Sir M. Visvesvaraya. May he keep inspiring generations of future engineers to distinguish themselves. I am also sharing a snippet from one of the previous #MannKiBaat programmes where I talked about this subject."